I7 build questions!

[samskeyti]

I'm putting together a new i7 build and this is what I have so far. It's not my first build, so be as critical as you can.

Cooler Master 690 $70

WD Caviar 640 mb $75

ASUS P6T Motherboard $215

Core i7 920 $280

XFX GTX 275 $220

Sunbeam Core-Contact w/ bracket $50

Samsung DVD burner $29

OCZ Gold 6GB DDR3 1600 RAM $100

Dell 2209wa 22" 1680x1050 IPS panel $280

Corsair 750XT PSU $120

My biggest questions are the motherboard, RAM, and case. I love the Centurion 5, but it seems like I'll be limited to 2 HDD and one gigantic video card. That's not so bad for me, I guess. I've always gone to single-card solutions anyways. If anyone has concerns about that case, please let me know.

The monitor slot is debatable. I definitely want an IPS panel. My options are that dell or this HP. The HP is 24" 1920x1200 compared to 22" 1650x1080. The cost difference is also fairly high. It's hard to find IPS panels in this cost range, so my options are limited. Any suggestions are welcomed here. I don't want a TN panel though.

I've had a great experience with my 20" Dell IPS monitor. It will act as a second monitor when I get the new one.

Any suggestions are welcomed! This isn't my first build, but I'm always looking for special deals or advice.

Thanks.

 

[batuchka]

Hmm so what are the main uses of this proposed rig?

 

[xthekidx]

Spend more on the case, you are getting a good system and will need some better airflow. Look at cases like the Antec 900, Cooler Master 690, Cooler Master Haf 922/932.

PNY cards aren't that great, go for this GTX 275:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150387

I would spend a little more on the MB too, I haven't had good experiences with ASRock. I would either get the Gigabyte UD4P or Asus P6T:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.216527
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128374

 

[kufan64]

+1 for all xthekidx's suggestions

You can also shave off around $50 by not getting the modular version of that PSU. I'd grab a 750TX.

Regardless of what technology you want in your monitor, you should get something with 1920x1200 or 1920x1080 native resolution. 1650x1080 is actually fairly low-res for the price they're asking, and on a 22" monitor, it'd be pretty noticeable.

If you are going to get something that has a resolution of less than 1920x1080, I'd drop the video card to a GTX 260, as you won't see a great deal of improvement at such a resolution.

 

[samskeyti]

I made some changes to my list going off of both of your advice.

The Centurion 5 case was nice because of how it looked, but the 690 looks nice too. I want a more plain looking case without a bunch of LEDs or windows.

I'll probably just hold off on the monitor for now and use what I have in the meantime. There are rumors that Dell may release a 24" IPS soon, so hopefully that actually happens.

I'm also on the fence about the GPU. I may end up going cheaper, but the price difference between buying them now and selling them later probably isn't too high.

Thanks for the advice!